Sars Update: Outbreak controlled,

Medical authorities to answer for negligence

(AsiaNews) - The recent outbreak of SARS seems to be under wraps as the 'index' patient from the virus resurgence was released yesterday fully recovered. The death of one patient and the quarantine of more than 1000 is bringing medical facilities and their leadership to blame, as the government makes strides in acting promptly and transparently to the new Sars cases.

Song Wei, 26, left the hospital in Anhui province yesterday, where she had been treated since April 4th, having no fever for 15 days.  Health authorities and the World Health Organization believe she contracted the disease while researching at the Institute of Virology in Beijing. SARS was spread from Ms. Sung to her nurse and to her mother, who then died from the disease. Her 1000 km travel from Beijing and Anhui province after being infected brought over a thousand people in contact with the disease.

All nine of the verified SARS cases in this year's outbreak have been linked to a laboratory accident at the Institute, part of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, (CDC) which is established specifically to prevent and control epidemics.  Questions are now being asked about who is responsible for enforcing the precautions and guidelines meant to ensure the safety of the Institute's staff and that of the general public.

"The China CDC did not strengthen the management and security of research labs, or block potential leakage channels. Officials did not consider early enough the possibility that sick students had been infected with Sars, even when they had high fevers," Hu Shuli, editor of the business magazine, Caijing wrote, calling for the resignation of the China CDC's leaders.

Shuli's comments reflect the growing concern Chinese have of the bio-safety practices of the mainland's medical facilities. WHO experts have examined the CDC's laboratory three times and interviewed staff members to determine where the outbreak started.

The re-emergence of SARS has revealed the government's improvement in dealing with the highly contagious respiratory disease, having responded swiftly and openly to the new threat, allowing it to be curtailed almost immediately.

Liang Wannian, spokeman for the Beijing Health Department, stated, "Fighting the spread of the virus last year really helped us to control this year's outbreak."

Last year's epidemic of SARS infected more than 8,000 people worldwide, killing 774. 

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